Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam (R) and visiting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali during their meeting in Hanoi on April 15, 2025
To Lam welcomed Abiy Ahmed Ali’s historic visit, the first by a high-ranking Ethiopian leader since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1976, saying the visit is especially meaningful as the two countries prepare to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2026.
He expressed his belief that that the visit would usher in a new stage of development for bilateral ties between the two ruling parties – the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Prosperity Party of Ethiopia, and the two countries.
The Vietnamese Party leader praised Ethiopia’s remarkable achievements under the leadership of the Prime Minister himself and the Prosperity Party in maintaining political stability and driving socio-economic development, positioning Ethiopia as a key player in Africa.
He suggested both sides identify priority areas for cooperation in the near future, particularly in agriculture, trade, investment, science and technology, education, and people-to-people exchanges. He welcomed Ethiopian Airlines’ plan to launch a direct flight from Addis Ababa to Hanoi in July 2025 - the first direct air link between Vietnam and Africa.
Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali discuss measures to increase cooperative relations between the two ruling parties and two countries during their meeting in Hanoi on April 15, 2025
Abiy Ahmed Ali, for his part, expressed admiration for Vietnam’s resilient struggle for national independence and its outstanding socio-economic development under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He conveyed Ethiopia’s desire to learn from Vietnam’s experience in achieving fast and sustainable development and environmental protection.
The Ethiopian leader noted that the Prosperity Party, with over 15 million members, is one of the largest political parties in Africa and shares many common values with the Communist Party of Vietnam. He agreed with his host’s proposal to strengthen party-to-party relations as a solid political foundation for bilateral cooperation.
Ethiopia also looks forward to deepening cooperation with Vietnam in areas such as investment, agriculture, science and technology, education, and cultural exchange, he said.
Both leaders agreed to enhance exchanges at all levels across various channels, promote the signing of cooperation documents, and soon establish diplomatic missions in each country to support long-term bilateral engagement.
To Lam proposed that the two countries continue supporting each other at multilateral forums and international organisations such as the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement. He also proposed strengthening ties between ASEAN and the African Union, where Vietnam and Ethiopia can serve as key partners.
Abiy Ahmed Ali invited To Lam to visit Ethiopia in the near future, and the invitation was accepted with pleasure.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali arrived in Hanoi on April 14 for a four-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. He will also attend the fourth Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit.
